The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-11
A ROMANCE BY JEFF DAVIS
The Ex-Chief of the Confederacy Tells
Of a Conspiracy Against His Life,
Claiming It Was Hatched by the Federal Gov
eminent, and that Freedom and Money
Were offered q Convict to Do 1t.

so-day six-coumn contribution from the pen
If Col. J. Thomas Scharf. the well-known his
sorisu, giving an account of o recent important
interview with Hon. Jefferson Davis. Colonel
Echarf ia now engaged in writing an authorized
memoir of Mr.. Davis's life and has recently made
prolonged visit TO Beauvoir, Miss, where he
was the guest Of the confederate ex-President
In these interviews Mr.. Davis. among other
things. charges that the federal government
eonspired during the late war to have him assas-
MINATED. On this subject Mr.. Davis says:
"While the confederate governments was at
MONTGOMERY, Ala, in 1861, received an anony-
nous letter from Philadelphia, the substance of
which was that the Governor of Pennsylvania
had released an old desperate from the peniten-
tiary upon the condition that he would go to
Montgomery and assassinate me, with the prom
Use of a reward Of 100000 if he sue
ceeded; that after the release the man
stated that he could not probably
succeed alone. and gave the name Of another
convic. of character like his own, with whose
assistance he felt sure of success and that the
second convict was released to accompany the
frat. About the time when this letter
ceived was going from my Office to my resi-
dence. The street along which walked led by
the right side of the yard in which my residence
was situated, but the entrance TO the house was
through gate opening to the street running
perpendicular to the one mentioned. AS 1
turned the corner of street into the other /
observed a man squatting down by the brick
WALL which was about three feet high. and upon
which the paling of the yard rested. Walking
rapidly. had gone few steps before the posi-
TO go and look after him. Then walking OBJ
hquey back toward the corner OF the fence be-
hind which he was crouching l saw him looking
over the wall toward the gate through which
expected to enter, but I reached the
sorner he jumped ND and ran toward the rear Of
The lot upon which my residence stood, where
there was alley
II followed him rapidly, but when I had
reached the alley he had disappeared The
only way in which he could have escaped ap-
peared to be through gate which led into my
stable. Thlther went, and found my servant
in the loft throwing down hay, who, upon in
CURRY, denied that anybody had come there
He was q servant had reared, in whom, /
afterward learned, had misplaced confidence.
Accepting his statement true, and making
fruitiess search elsewhere, the hunt aban-
doned- But the warning was not forgotten.
The cornmssary general, Colonel Northorp,
my frienAand old army comrade, soon thereafter
went with me by rail to Richmond and was on
the alert during the whole trip for the appear
ance of the ASSASSIN.
Chat my confidence in the servant was mis-
placed and that he may have concealed the
would-be assassin, was afterward developed by
his deserving me at Richmond and going to Gen.
Grants headquarters, where he was seen by
Vice-president stephens In those days heavy
rewards were given to the so called contrabands
for stories received as information, and the serv-
ant who had been in my house and about my
person was probably considered An unusually
good find
81 sent the anonymous letter referred to to
Hon. VIM. B. Reed, of Philadelphia, asking him
TO make such inquiry as would verify or dis
prove its allegations. If he over replied do not
know. as communications were closed soon after
that. SIS @pss
while in Richmond it was my habit to ride
out often in the evening to visit the defensive
works We were constructing around the capital
On one occasion. accompanied Dy my aid. Col.
William Johnston. l had ridden across ellis
creek and was going up the hill when a rifle
ball whizzed just behind me and In front of
Colonel Johnston who was riding by my side
little In the rear. Warning him to il
nothing had occurred, rode to where q cross
road turned square to our right, and then passed
rapidly around an unoccupied house. from which
IL was thought that tho shot must have been
fred, and from which could distinctly
. the ground over which any must have fed
il after firing he had taken to flight No one
was visible We therefore examined the into
rior of the house, both the lower and upper
story, but found no one, and In perplexity re-
ruined our ride.
After returning to the city in the evening
Col johnson won't to the provost marshal, who
sent out some men moro skillful than had
been, to make further search in the house.
They found in the upper story some planks cut
out Of the floor, SO that they could be removed
aud underneath that found man with a rife,
who gave lame account of himself as hiding
there to avoid CONSUMPTION. His story of being
employed at a bakery in the city was found
be, upon inquiry. unfounded. The next morn
Ing was notified that the man, with liberal
retainer in gold, had employed lawyer to
out writ OF habeas corpus.
aware that though the circumstantial evil
dence might produce moral conviction, that he
would probably be discharged in compliance
with the writ; and that as the man was of proper
age and physical vigor for soldier, directed
him to be sent to Gen. Lee, then holding the
lines at Petersburg, with explanatory note,
and the hope that he would be put in the front
line TO stop ball intended for better man.
What became of him never learned. Matters
OF larger Importance engrossed the attention of
Gen. Lee we'll as myself.
ION another occasion, returning from an
afternoon ride with my aid, Col. Joseph r.
Davis Just ms we entered the suburbs of Rich
mond shot was fired from behind a high gar
den wall at very close range, but without effect
We rode up to the wall, and by rising liz our
stirrups looked over into the garden but no per-
son could be seen 1t twilight, and the
shrubbery afforded some means of concealment
and escape.
Except for occasional periods when the writ
was suspended 1t was impossible to prevent the
presence Of emissaries. who however strong the
circumstances might point to the probable GRIM
inal purposes for which they were in Richmond,
could not be held If arrested under the existing
state of the law and the caution with which it
was administered, which, however ommeudable
In state of peace, ill-adapted to our then
condition. There were many reasons before the
Daheren raid for believing that efforts incon-
civilized nations were made to secure assassina-
ton, especially the President, and to acquire in
formation by spies. resident and transitory, or
that large rewards offered for such services,
including arson and murder
Son one occasion, when / was known to be
travelling a railroad to the army, information
was brought by lady who had overheard the
conversation in a barn, that distractions were
60 be placed on the track. and the information
was verified by detachment sent ont. who
found the distractions and some Union soldiers
secreted in q barn near the place where the train
was expected TO be wrecked, and for what pur-
pvse we'll be imagined.
Throughout the war, with all it's provoca-
1Aons and severest trials. il was the policy and
lrmsins the pride OF the confederate govern
ment and army that their conduct was I'M
stained by any acts unworthy OF Christian
knights observing the rules of war. That small
bodies OF partisans may have perpetrated irreg-
1larities is not denied. and one or more in
stances or retaliation did occur, but no such
conduct as pillaee. assassination or the wanton
destruction Of homes and private property or
Insult TO the persons Of defenseless women and
uperannuated men was ever authorized or per-
nitted by any general of an army or any officer
the civil governments of the Confederate
States"